Going Green

June 16, 2016

1. Set your air conditioner thermostat as high as comfortable. When out of the house turn it up 10 degrees. Keep inside air vents clear from furniture and other objects.

2. Replace, clean, or tune up your central air conditioner filters monthly, for more efficient operation

3. Reduce indoor heat: Run the dryer and dishwasher at night on hot days and let your dishes air dry. More efficiency can be achieved by reducing heat-generating incandescent lighting and use a microwave, toaster oven or outdoor grill instead of the oven. It's best to avoid the use of major appliances between 2 and 8 pm.

4. Set your water heater to 120 degrees

5. Keep the blinds and windows closed during the day and open at night.

6. Fans are a low-cost ways to stay comfortable.

7. Wash clothes in cold water and clean the lint filer after every use.

8. Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use.

9. Eliminate, or deactivate, extra freezers or refrigerators if possible. If you use ComED, they have free refrigerator recycling if you have a unit that you aren't using.

10. If you have a pool: Consider slowly reducing pool filtration time by 30 minute increments daily. You may find you only need to run your pool filter six hours a day. Install a timer to control the length of time that the pool pump cycles on.

May 26, 2016

Budget can really be a four-letter word, especially when you’re looking to update you home. Spring refresh, summer upgrades—who can afford that on a budget? You can! At Modernize, we love finding less-expensive ways to improve your home’s value, so here are a few of our favorite tips.

Paint to Your Heart’s Content

Feeling a bit dreary in that back room lately? It may be time for a fresh coat of paint. It seems simple enough, but new paint creates a brighter atmosphere, cleaner lines, and can even evoke emotions like peace or joy. Freshly painted rooms show an obvious level of maintenance and upgrading, which makes the rest of your home shine.

If you’re selling your house, aim for neutral paint colors that won’t stand out too much. We love that hot pink wall, too, but your potential buyers may feel differently. A few gallons of paint could cost you less than a $100, which is a great price to pay for the upgraded value and aesthetic of your home.

Work Your Curb Appeal

When you’re refreshing your paint, make sure to paint the outside of your home, too. The exterior of your house will become damaged and weathered over time, so maintain it by scraping peeling paint and applying a fresh coat. Repair any damages to wood or gutters, then paint those spots, too.

Landscaping is another effective way to spruce up your curb appeal. Hiring a lawn service is a great way to go, but you can learn some gardening tips yourself and create plant beds to line your house or driveway. Use a mix of pebbles, gravel, decorative stones, and cement blocks to breathe life back into your yard.

Well-maintained hedges, bushes, and grass go a long way, so the next time you see some weeds poking up around your feet, stop to pull them!

Repair With Eco-Friendly Upgrades

If it’s time to replace the carpet, the air conditioner, or another major feature of your home, be smart about it. Replacing an old A/C unit or kitchen appliance is costly, so choose a greener option that will generate savings in the long run. You’ll face lower electricity bills, which will build up your wallet over time. If you’re selling your home, energy-efficient appliances and eco-friendly materials will boost your seling value. It pays to upgrade!

Important areas to focus on for design upgrades are kitchens and bathrooms. Major overhauls can be pricy, so incorporate some small upgrades like new fixtures, handles, cabinets, backsplashes, or hardware. These small changes are visually pleasing and can revitalize your home decor from another decade.

Whether you’re selling or just trying to upgrade your home, that expected bill can be daunting. Do what you can on your own, and remember, even small upgrades are still upgrades!

June 16, 2014

Summer is here, and so are the Farmers Markets! The north shore has no shortage of options. All with amazing fresh foods, and community flare. It gives people the opportunity for amazing fresh foods, and to buy local. So, make it a goal this summer to take a tour of the north shores amazing farmers markets and support your local communities. Here is info on some of the markets (send me info about any others to include here).

Evanston There are several Farmers' Markets in operation in Evanston in the spring, summer and fall. Click here to find out when and where to find them.

January 01, 2012

Happy New Year!! Looking for a few additional New Year's resolutions? Here are some great ideas to start the new year (be sure to look at the links too). This article is posted with permission from the author. nsk

by Donnie R. Dann, January 2012

Many argue that although living an ecologically conscientious lifestyle might be good for the environment, it's too costly. Only a few months ago Steven Kurutz wrote Eco Meets the Economy in which he cited several examples of green living that are virtuous but impractical because of higher prices. In these economic times, for most of us financial considerations must be primary. But can you be a 'green' consumer and still reduce your expenses?

Let's consider just a few simple examples that will lower our budgets and still lessen our impact on earth's resources.

For each degree you turn down the heat you save 3 percent of heating costs, while each degree you raise the temperature of your air conditioner saves 3-4 percent of cooling costs.

According to the U.S. Energy Star program, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs can last about 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Thus using 10 incandescents would be equal to plugging in a single CFL, saving about $30 per bulb, and could pay for itself in about six months. (CFLs must be recycled because of their slight mercury content. Note from Nancy: you can recycle CFLs at Home Depot.) If everyone did this the NRDC tells us we could avoid the need to build 30 new power plants.

Whenever possible buy locally grown food from farms within 200 miles from home. It is often less expensive as transportation costs are avoided as compared with food shipped the more typical 1,500 to 2,500 miles. Carbon emissions are reduced as well. Moreover, produce stays on the vine longer, ripens naturally and more often tastes better.

Avoid disposables. Those one-use throw-away razors, paper plates and paper towels, plastic knives and forks, foods wrapped in plastic, etc, can add to our landfills and should all be rejected. You'll help save the planet as well as your wallet.

Many TVs, DVRs and small appliances that are “turned off” but remain connected to a wall plug still use 5 to 10 percent of home energy and generate heat. Unplug them and use power strips. Connect almost everything into a multi-outlet strip with its own on/off switch that can efficiently control power from several appliances at once, and wasting power is avoided.

Take shorter showers or let the water run only when you're using it reduces 2 utility bills: water and gas or electricity.

October 24, 2010

This is and excerpt from an article written by Donnie Dann, an avid local conservationist. Per the author, this content can be shared without limitation.

The ingredient mostly used in conventional dry cleaning, tetrachlorethylene, also referred to as perchlorethylene or perc has long been suspected of being a carcinogen, and both the American Cancer Society and The International Agency for Research on Cancer confirms that. Fortunately there has been an increase in public consciousness resulting in more and more dry cleaners employing other chemicals in their operations.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been considering whether to ban it on a national basis, and legislation has been introduced in the Illinois House that would phase it out locally. In the interim, here are some steps you can take to avoid it.

Find Alternatives to Perc. Search out stores that use substitutes such as 1) high-pressure cleaning using liquid carbon dioxide; 2) silicone-based cleaners (Green-earth is one), or high-tech, computer-controlled wet washing.

Consider Personal Dry Cleaning. Home dry cleaning kits such as those manufactured under the Dryel brand by Procter and Gamble and by Clorox as Stain-fighter are not chemical-free, nor give results identical to professional cleaning. But they don't contain perc, and might be an alternative in areas with no convenient eco-friendly cleaners or if you’re treating manageable spots.

Use a small hand-held spot remover for minor stains. Over the counter spot removers like Tide to Go or Oxiclean are 2 such brands.

Opt for the washer. Modern washers with gentle cycles are often suitable for items such as cashmere and silk.

Freshen slightly wrinkled garments. Sometimes a little is enough; place delicates in the dryer with a damp colorfast towel, run briefly.

Re-evaluate your wardrobe. The best way to reduce dry cleaning pollution is to stop buying clothes which require it. With the wide variety of low-care fabrics available these days, thoughtful shopping can pay-off in reduced cleaning costs and a lighter environmental footprint. Check clothing labels and ask online merchants to disclose cleaning care requirements before buying. (Thanks to Mother Nature Network for some of the ideas shown here.)

Doug Snower's neighbors in Highland Park stared hard when the silver and blue wind turbine first appeared on his garage roof.

While it could pass for a kinetic sculpture, the shiny, spinning device he installed a few weeks ago has generated low-voltage electricity and a steady hum of conversation.

Unlike the monstrous bladed commercial turbines that have drawn controversy over their noise and environmental impact, Snower's gadget is a quiet and modest 600-watt affair, working alongside a solar panel to supply a bank of four batteries. He uses it to power his electric lawn mower, the family's laptops, phones, cameras and a small fridge.

Snower figures he saves about $10 to $15 monthly on electricity bills and is eligible for a 30 percent rebate on federal income taxes. But he intended the $5,000 investment as more of an educational tool for his teen daughters -- as well as for curious passersby.

"At least six neighbors have come to look," said Snower, an architectural photographer who plans to serve as a Midwest distributor for the turbine's Chinese supplier.

He and his wife, Shari, added on to their house two years ago with the greenest of intentions. They are still experimenting with a partial grass roof to conserve water, a wood-burning masonry fireplace for heating and a natural air ventilation system.

About a week after Snower installed his turbine, ComEd workers replaced a transformer across the street.

May 21, 2009

Keep a pitcher of water in your fridge. This keeps the food in there cooler and will use less energy. Another benefit is that you'll always have some cool water available and you won't need to use the disposable plastic water bottles as much.

If you are leaving town for vacation, unplug your appliances and electronics before you go. Unplugging cell phone chargers, DVD players and other electronics will save you some money. These electronics draw power even when they ar not turned on. For even greater savings, you can plug some of these items into a power strip and turn on the power only when you are using these items.

Now is a terrific time to invest in energy efficient home improvements because Uncle Sam is providing tax credits for improvements made in 1009 and 2010. So if you are considering new windows, doors, insulation, roofs, water heaters, heating or air conditioning, click here for more information. (NOTE: A tax credit is better than a tax deduction because it comes right off of the amount of taxes you owe.)

Chicagoland Natural Gas Savings Program - This program is offering rebates of up to $750 on insulation, $600 on boilers, $450 on furnaces, $400 on water heaters, and $100 on clothes washers. These tend to be items that you purchase when the one you have "dies." So if you need to replace any of these items, check out the rebate program with your gas provider. For residents on Chicago's North Shore, visit this site for details, or call 866-964-7345.

Thank you for reading - if you have any tips or ideas that I can share with my readers, please let me know.

March 16, 2009

If you've been shopping for a household appliance you probably saw some products displaying an ENERGY STAR label. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) designed the ENERGY STAR program to help consumers find the most energy-efficient products. Any time you see a product with the EVERGY STAR label, that means that the product has been identified as being the most energy efficient product in its class - often these products substantially exceed existing minimum federal standards. So, whenever you are out shopping for new windows, heating, air conditioning, water heaters, lighting, dishwashers, clothes washer/dryer, etc., you should look for this label. You can save as much as 30% on your energy bills by using these products. (No I'm not getting paid for this endorsement).

There is also a yellow and black EnergyGuidelabel required by the federal government that will help you compare energy efficiency of appliances. There are two key pieces of info on these labels: the estimated energy consumtion and the estimated yearly operating cost.

If you want to kick up your energy savings a notch, there are many things you can do to save even more energy beyond just buying efficient products. Here are several of ideas to consider for your kitchen appliances:

Instead of having your dish washer use energy to dry your dishes, you can turn off the the control knob on your dishwahser after the final rinse, and open the door of your dishwasher and let the dishes air dry.

Many dishwashers have their own heating elements. This means that you can have your hot water heater set at a lower temperature (115 degrees Farenheight is recommended) to save money, and the dishwasher can heat the water up only when it is needed.

Cover or wrap all foods that you keep in your refrigerator. Uncovered foods cause the unit to work harder (use more energy).

Vacuum the condenser coils on the back of your refrigerator at least once a year (except for models that have a no-clean condenser). Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods and save you money if the coils are clean.

Always cover pot when you are boiling water. It will come to a boil faster with a cover on it, so you will use less energy.

If you are cooking with electric burners, you can turn of the burners before your food is done. The heating element will stay hot for several minutes after it is turned off.

January 13, 2009

The Federal Government is providing tax credits for energy efficient home improvements as of January 1, 2009, per the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, signed by President Bush in October 2008.

Before you start you home improvement projects, see if anything you are planning to do will qualify. (NOTE: home improvements made during 2008 are not eligible for tax credit)

Some of the home improvements included are: windows, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters.There are also tax credits available for solar energy systems,fuel cells, small wind energy system and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. New home builders can also get credits for building energy efficient homes. click here for more details, www.energystar.gov